I was still holding the staff I'd picked up in the spider caves. Its weight felt familiar now, like it belonged in my hands.
Lucy didn't care in the slightest when she saw me with it. At least, not at first. But when she took a closer look, her expression faltered—if only for a moment.
It was the same quality as her own staff. Maybe even better.
Before she could voice anything, we were already far apart. She only shook her head and turned away. She had other things to worry about in the kingdom. As for Akashi—me—she wasn't concerned anymore.
I now had the protection of the Queen herself, so she doesn't need to worry. She left, seemingly with somewhere urgent to be.
Lorraine, ever the quiet observer, led me through the castle. Eventually, she stopped in front of a room and opened the door. "This is Alisa's room," she said, gesturing for me to enter.
The room was enormous, practically a palace within a palace. The bed alone was more than twice the size of Lucy's room. Alisa was already asleep, her small figure nestled in the mountain of soft sheets. Lorraine gave me a long look, as if testing whether I was trustworthy, then nodded once and closed the door behind her.
With her gone and Alisa deep in sleep, I finally took a breath and checked the loot I had gathered in the spider caves. Three scrolls. One of them was a legendary-tier spell.
I almost fainted.
The first two were high-tier spells: Calm Sea and Levitation.
The Calm Sea spell, as the name suggested, would calm my mind in dire situations. It would slow my heartbeat, sharpen my senses, and allow me to think with chilling clarity. A useful spell for someone like me, who regularly stumbled into death. The downside? The mana consumption was outrageously high. I'd be lucky to last 30 seconds using it, especially if I was casting other spells at the same time.
Next was Levitation, which allowed me to manipulate gravity around objects or people. If I tried lifting a pebble, the mana cost would be minimal. But if I wanted to levitate a boulder it will cost even more mana
And then there was the legendary-tier spell: Lord's Barrier.
At first, I was disappointed. It wasn't an offensive spell. But upon reading the details, I realized its true value. The spell conjured a protective slime—yes, a slime, of all things—which, if fully comprehended and powered with enough mana, could block attacks from even 6 or 7-star cultivators.
That was ridiculous.
I smiled bitterly. I didn't even understand these spells yet, let alone had the capacity to cast them. Without the Queen's help, I'd have to study them on my own. Just the thought gave me a headache. I rubbed my temples. How many spells had I collected now? I was really overdoing it.
My eyes dropped to the divine fruit in my hand. I hadn't eaten it yet. My body was completely exhausted, screaming for sleep. But I wasn't shameless enough to climb into bed with a princess. I had boundaries… mostly.
So, I pulled a chair over and sat down near the bed. My eyes were just starting to close when—
"...!"
A weight landed on me.
Alisa, her eyes barely open and expression blank, had pounced on me like a sleepy cat. Her sudden movement knocked the breath out of me. For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
Even though she was only a 2-Star cultivator, her body was tightly pressed against mine. She nuzzled her head into my chest, then—bit me.
It didn't really hurt. But it stung. Emotionless or not, she had some bite to her. I tried to wiggle free, but she clung to me like glue. Literally. Like someone had taken a glue stick and just… rolled her onto me.
Sighing, I gave up. Her hug was intense—tighter than Lucy's, honestly. Her small frame was practically embedded into my chest.
Eventually, her breathing evened out. She fell back asleep while still latched onto me. Seeing her peaceful face, I couldn't bring myself to push her away.
Also exhausted, I allowed myself to rest too. Before dozing off, I hid the scrolls carefully within my clothes and merged the staff back into my body. One of the perks of my system—it could make items disappear and reappear at will.
I sat back in the chair, with Alisa clinging to me as if afraid I'd vanish. Her tiny face was so cute, I almost reached out to pinch her cheek. But I didn't want to wake her. So I just leaned back and joined her in sleep.
---
Meanwhile, Lorraine walked down the hallway, her skin still glistening from a recent bath. A towel hung loosely around her. Normally, she wouldn't worry—there was no one around at this hour. Only her daughter and her daughter's new... companion.
She paused outside Alisa's room. Curious, she peeked through the slightly open door.
What she saw made her smile unconsciously.
Alisa, sleeping with her face buried in Akashi's chest. And Akashi—peaceful, unaware, and just as attractive as she'd thought earlier. There was something divine about his features, something mysterious. She shook her head and turned away, walking quietly to her own room.
---
Morning came slowly. The golden rays of the sun filtered into the room, warming everything they touched.
I woke up first.
My body was stiff from staying in one position all night. I hadn't dared move an inch, worried that I'd wake the girl wrapped around me.
Gently, I patted her head.
Alisa stirred. Her blank expression remained, but I could sense something different. Satisfaction. She had enjoyed sleeping beside me.
Then, in her usual flat voice, she said, "Give me a bath."
I blinked. "Huh?"
She stared at me. "You said you'd take care of me."
Well… I had said that.
Surprised, I still wasn't worried. My eyes didn't carry any improper thoughts. My mind, thankfully, remained innocent—mostly because I honestly didn't know how to handle this kind of situation.
I nodded slowly.
She gave a faint smile. Just a tiny one.
But it was smug. Very smug.
[For now every 3 Powerstone i would publish one more chapter TvT]